The Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos will face off Sunday for the biggest prize in sports, the Lombardi Trophy. Super Bowl 50 will kick off at 6:30 p.m. ET on CBS.
CROLINA PANTHERE VS DENVER BRONCOS LIVE
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The Panthers steamrolled through nearly every opponent this season, taking a 15-1 record into the playoffs. They proceeded to decimate the Seattle Seahawks in the Divisional round, jumping out to a 31-0 halftime lead before letting Seattle back into the game. There would be no such doubt in the NFC Championship, where they kept their foot on the Arizona Cardinals' throat en route to a 49-15 victory.
The Broncos had a much rockier road to the Super Bowl. Peyton Manning replaced Brock Osweiler as the starter at the end of the regular season and settled into a game manager role at this stage of his career. The Broncos beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Divisional round, 23-16, but it was hardly a convincing performance. Manning threw for 222 yards on 21-of-37 passing, but it was the defense that mostly carried the day.
That defense came up huge in the AFC Championship, where the Broncos held off the New England Patriots, 20-18. Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware both had career-best games, making Tom Brady miserable all afternoon. The interior pass rush was also excellent with Derek Wolfe and Malik Jackson giving Brady no space to step up from pocket pressure. Manning threw two touchdown passes to Owen Daniels, but he again was more of a game manager. He completed 17 of 32 passes for just 176 yards.
The Panthers are rolling into the big game with all of the momentum, but they do have one big injury concern. Linebacker and team leader Thomas Davis fractured his forearm in the NFC Championship and had surgery just one day after that game. The team insists that he will play in the Super Bowl, but it's questionable how effective he'll be just two weeks after an injury that typically takes more than a month to rehab from. Davis is a warrior who obviously doesn't want to miss his first-ever Super Bowl appearance, but his status will be a big question mark heading into Sunday. Look for rookie Shaq Thompson to get some more run if Davis is limited.
Of course, all eyes will be on Cam Newton, the MVP frontrunner who is headed to the Super Bowl for the first time in his career. Newton had his best season to date, becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to throw 35 passing touchdowns and rush for 10 touchdowns in the same season. He's also become a polarizing character due to his numerous touchdown dances, but not many people should disagree with the pure fun and passion he shows playing the game of football. Regardless of his performance, Newton will be the most talked-about player heading into Super Bowl Sunday.
This game might also be Manning's last in the NFL. During the postgame huddle with Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, he said "this might be my last rodeo," indicating that he intends to retire with either another Super Bowl loss or hoisting the Lombardi Trophy a second time. Either way, this game is can't-miss television.